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by veryeclectic



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, Sort Of, the episode airs in two days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 07:46:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18796021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veryeclectic/pseuds/veryeclectic
Summary: Della Duck has returned. Webby and the boys don't recognize her but at first glance, Scrooge is whole again. Now, the gang must come to terms with the ten years between them.





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**Author's Note:**

> This takes place immediately after the teaser Disney posted: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4SK7OjkCwc&list=PLZfVIqr-iYP6NE4wYiGajlahbAo6EMo36&index=32&t=0s
> 
> The episode airs on Monday! Ahhh!

 

Home

 

It’s a wonderful day. The air is light and the wind is warm. There on the steps of McDuck Manor is a young mother who kept her promise. For ten years, she struggled. She pushed herself to every limit only to beat her own odds. Against her better judgment she left her family and all that she loved, but after all this time, Della Duck is home.

“Hi, Uncle Scrooge.” Her voice is small.

Scrooge McDuck is holding the cartographer’s quill. Mere moments from taking his niece and nephews on another grand adventure, he drops the quill and the trip without a second thought.

A million things try to leave his mouth but no words are heard. His eyes well with the tears of time, his own bitterness and relief. He takes a timid step toward her—the vision from his deepest dream—but stops short. Della leaps to embrace him. She goes to place her head in the space between her uncle’s neck and shoulder and with it, falls back into the place she knows as home.

With the faintest sound only her uncle could hear, Della whispers, “I—I’m sorry.” Her tears meet Scrooge’s jacket.

Webby, Huey, Dewey and Louie cannot find words. The kids have different ideas but this person before them doesn’t match any pictures, stories or memories. Huey notices her metal leg. Louie sees her long hair. Dewey studies her goggles. And at once, the kids arrive at one conclusion.

Huey takes a step toward the stranger, “D-Did you say, _Uncle_ Scrooge?”

Della opens her eyes to look at Scrooge knowingly. He nods and steps aside. Della takes a step toward the kids and gets down on her good knee.

“Yes. I did.” Della says warmly. “That duck right there is my Uncle Scrooge…” She turns her head his way.

Dewey, Louie and Webby take a few steps closer.

“And I…I’m Della Duck.” Her eyes well as she turns to look at them. “I’m your mom.” She musters a smile when all she wants to do is cry. Regret washes over her like an infinite sea. She starts to think of every birthday, every milestone, every small thing that she missed and it overwhelms her. But before she breaks, her children meet her.

The triplets can’t run to her faster. Their force topples her and everyone is hugging and crying except one. Della, God bless her, notices.

Through tears, Della asks, “And what’s your name?”

Webby knows who this is. After her many years of McDuck family research, have all roads lead here? She remembers her granny’s teachings about meeting important people and wants to present herself correctly, _like a young lady_. Here it goes.

“I’m…Webbigail Vanderquack.” She sticks out her hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you.” She almost curtsies she’s so tickled.

Della stands and returns the handshake. “Mind if I call you, Webby?”

Webby’s heart flutters. She nods. Without thinking, she too, hugs Della. They’re both touched.

And like every grandmother/secret agent is known to do, Mrs. Beakley enters quietly. There’s no telling how much she’s heard. She gives no audible acknowledgement but finds Scrooge’s eyes and nods. She smiles. Before anyone else notices, she’s gone again.

Della brings Webby over to where the boys are and sits on the floor. The kids join her. She looks at Scrooge, still teary-eyed in the corner, and invites him to listen.

Della sighs and then takes a long pause. “Boys, I am so, so sorry.” She finds their eyes. “You didn’t deserve the consequences of my mistake and I promise I will never leave you like that again. I don’t expect an answer from you now, but I hope that in time, however long it takes, you can forgive me.” A soft smile warms Della’s face.

Huey stands. His voice incredulous, “After all these years, you did it.”

“How did you—what did you…I just have so many questions.” Dewey stammers.

Louie is last to speak but his voice is the quietest, “I never thought I’d meet you…Mom.”

“I know, I know, boys. We have so much to talk about and I’ll tell you everything.” She extends her arms to hug all four kids and they come just as easily.

“But hey, where’s Donald?”

 

///

 

A few hours pass and the family has lunch. Della weaves ten years into minutes and the kids are fascinated—Huey and Webby unsurprised—with life on the moon. Webby really wants to meet Lieutenant Penumbra. Scrooge is mostly quiet. He’s fully at rest for the first time in many long and lonely years. His heart is full.

When lunch ends, Scrooge asks the kids to help Mrs. Beakley with the dishes. They want to stay with Della, of course, but he’d like to speak in private. Once the kids are in the kitchen, he grabs a key from his inner coat pocket.

“Follow me.” He says.

Della obliges and walks a few steps behind him. She looks up and around but doesn’t remember all the halls she’s being led through and it breaks her heart. Again. They finally turn and arrive at a door she could never forget. It’s her old room. Scrooge stops and looks at her a long time before gingerly unlocking the door. The dust settles. He pushes it open and allows her to go in first. He follows and closes it behind him.

Della doesn’t know what to say. The last time he took her to her room was when she was a child and that was ten years before she left. It’s been so long and yet in here, time can only stand still. She’s uncomfortable in the silence but doesn’t want to say the wrong thing. But at last, Scrooge gets the first word.

Scrooge, like the children, leaps toward Della. She can count on one finger how many times this has happened. And for the first time, she hears him cry. The emotion she’s been mending at the seams is as open as a fresh wound. She matches his cries and they sit with each other for some time.

Through sniffles and tears, Della speaks again, “Uncle Scrooge…I…”

He puts a hand up and she stops. Scrooge takes her hands and puts one of his over hers. “Lass, I will never ever do that to you ever again. If you can ever forgive me, I…”

“Forgive you!? It was me! I was so stupid…and naive…and reckless. I never should’ve done that to you! Or the boys! And Donald! Oh, it was all my fault!” Della shrinks herself in tone and stature as the cost of her mistake crushes her.

“Look here, lass! If I had never built that sinister ship, you wouldn’t have been tempted to take it.”

“But I—!”

Scrooge interrupts, “No! I should’ve known better!” He takes off his top hat and releases the tension in his shoulders. His voice evens again. “I should’ve protected you.”

“Protected me!?” Della starts to pace. “You did nothing but keep me safe since I set foot on your front steps! You did everything right and I just, I—I hurt so many people.” Della is overwhelmed. She collapses on the chair in the corner.”

Scrooge walks over to her. After a moment, he places a hand on her shoulder and again, they sit together like that for some time.

“Della?”

Tearfully, she responds, “What?”

“You are th’ kindest, fiercest and brightest duck I’ve ever known. Your bravery is unmatched. And you’re as stubborn as an ox.” Scrooge is tearful once more. “And there isn’t a soul alive that’s happier t’ have you home.”

Della wipes her tears but they still fall. “Uncle Scrooge,” she stands, “I’m sorry.” He opens his arms to embrace her again and she goes to him. “And I love you.”

Scrooge rests in their embrace and then speaks, “Della, I love you more and more each day. And I couldn’t be prouder you made it back on your own. You and Donald, the boys and Webby are my greatest treasure and I’d be a fool to ever forget it.”

Della sniffles to hold more tears back. Her voice is barely above a tremble. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“I do. When I pass on, you and Donald, Mrs. Beakley, will raise these kids to have the same spirit. And with your brains, and a bit of luck, I have every hope they’ll be just…like…you. You’re going to be—no—you _are_ a great mother and it will be my greatest pleasure to watch you grow with your kids.”

Della squeezes her uncle so tightly, he wheezes a bit. He too, wraps her snugly in his arms.

The tender moment passes and Della lets go. She has one more thought, “But how’d you get Donald to go on that cruise?” She laughs.

Scrooge remembers the wonderful trip he, Webby and the boys planned with Beakley, but she interrupts first.

Mrs. Beakley opens the door just enough to peer her head in. “Sir, a word?”

“Can’t it wait, Beakley?” Scrooge pleads.

“I know we’re all happy to see Della, but…it’s Donald.”

Della and Scrooge share glances.

“Donald?” Both of their voices echo.

Mrs. Beakley looks directly at Scrooge. “Sir, he never made it to the cruise.”

 

///

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! When the episode comes out on Monday, it'll probably kill me and I'll be grateful. So, you know, I personally can't wait.


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